GENRE: Fantasy
MAIN PAIRING: Nil. Very light on romance - subtle undertones of a M(trans)/F relationship and brief mention of M/M relationships
REP: Trans main character 

After four successful sci-fi novels, The Raven Tower constitutes Ann Leckie’s first foray into the fantasy genre.

The story begins with the disappearance of the Lease of Iraden, a ruler who owes the Raven a debt of blood that must be paid lest Iraden lose its divine protection. The Lease’s tempestuous heir, Mawat, refuses to believe his father has shirked responsibility, and begins a gentle unfolding of machinations that lead Iraden to political and spiritual crossroads.

The narrator, like most aspects of The Raven Tower, is not what you’d expect. This ageless, rock-bound deity has a story to share with a human named Eolo. The Strength and Patience of the Hill does not meddle in the lives of humans as other gods do, but rather stares at the stars, contemplating what it means to possess power, and what limits power may have. We discover the deity’s fate is strangely entwined with Iraden’s.

Intelligent, compassionate and diplomatic, Eolo is a fabulous protagonist. He is the humble son of a farmer who has become a trusted aide to the Lord Mawat. Eolo’s transgender identity is a passing mention in a world where diversity is a natural occurrence of the cultural landscape. Eolo’s penetrating dialogue and complex characterisation are the strongest aspects of the story.

It is complex to discuss the magnificent revelations of this novel without giving the ending away. Unconventional in its low action—there’s barely a sword or sorcerer in sight—the book establishes and maintains a taut sense of intrigue.

The Raven Tower is an ambitious novel that explores new territory and that in itself warrants praise.

GENRE: Fantasy
MAIN PAIRINGS: M/F
QUEER CONTENT: Very little, but the general universe includes accepting references to diversity of sexuality. This review is more focused on this book as an exquisite piece of feminist fiction.

Madeline Miller’s debut novel, The Song of Achilles, won the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2012. She has not left her fans disappointed with her new foray into the world of Greek mythology, Circe.

Drawing on the rich characters, worlds and didactic stories that underpin Homer’s The Odyssey, as well as a variety of other Greek poems and plays, Miller offers a fresh version of events told from the perspective of Circe, the witch of Aiaia. This feminist adaptation delivers all that it promises: a masterfully woven tale of life as a woman in a world obsessed with the achievements of masculine heroes and unassailable monsters.

A lesser goddess born of Helios and one of the many nymphs he beds, Circe is scorned by gods and men alike throughout her seemingly endless life. Crossing the centuries, Circe becomes embroiled in the turmoils of Prometheus, King Minos, Daedalus and his hapless son, Icarus, the adventurer Jason and his ill-fated wife, Medea, and of course, Odysseus himself.

Where Circe’s father dismisses his supposedly unimpressive daughter as being ‘dull as a rock’, Miller’s masterful first-person narration unveils to readers that Circe is so much more. She faces the intrigues and tribulations that come her way with a growing finesse and strength.

Circe is an insightful exploration into an array of timeless themes and experiences. These range from abject jealousy, unrequited love and familial discord to the challenges of being a single mother (none of which are dulled by divinity) and the trauma of loss.

Some readers may find Miller’s prose too poetic at times—there are sea metaphors aplenty and her landscapes are ornate and almost utopian. Given the life experiences of our narrator, these descriptions and their artistry are fitting and ensure consistent characterisation.

Both satisfying and infuriating, the indeterminate closing lines of the final chapter will stay with a reader long after they close the book, as will Circe’s evolution from a lonely, naïve child to a talented enchantress and matriarch.